Murray Princess Heritage Cruise and Kangaroo Island
The majestic Murray Princess and the remarkable Kangaroo Island coupled with the warm, friendly people of South Australia assured a super holiday.
The Heritage cruise is 4 nights on the grand old lady of the river following in the wake of great Australian pioneers along the outback river highway. We marvelled at the indigenous flora and fauna as we slipped quietly and slowly by. The banks of the Murray offered us a showcase of towering cliffs and rockfaces in calm peaceful colours everywhere we looked.
We visited a unique Aussie woolshed and watched a sheep shearing demonstration, sampled local wines at the Burk Slater Boutique Winery, enjoyed nocturnal wildlife viewing and learnt about the Aboriginal history of the area at the Ngaut Ngaut Aboriginal Reserve, one of Australia’s most significant archaeological sites.
We savoured the famous Murray Princess meals and entertainment with many of us joining in the dancing. We were extremely lucky to have our own Elvis impersonator as one of the Probus members entertained us with some Elvis hits, much to our delight.
As if all of that was not enough, we ventured on to Kangaroo Island. For most of us it was a first-time visit, and we were just astounded at how much the island had to offer us. We were in awe of the Birds of Prey display at the Raptor Domain. The eagles were so large and formidable compared to the lovely little owls we were lucky enough to hold and pet.
A highlight of the tour was our visit to the Seal Bay Conversation Park where we were able to enjoy a guided stroll through a wild seal colony. A photographer’s dream come true. But there was still more to come. The Remarkable Rocks are perched above the sea in Flinders Chase National Park forming what appear to be a cluster of precariously balanced granite boulders. This stunning work of nature has been shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray and rain over some 500 million years.
Kangaroo Island further surprised as we enjoyed visits to the Emu Bay lavender farm where we sampled lavender scones and the local pure lavender gin!!
We were fascinated to learn about the Ligurian bees and their breeding and the production of their pure honey at the Clifford Honey Farm. We had a delightful time sampling all the honey-based lotions and creams.
An interesting way to say goodbye to the friendly South Australians was our visit to the historic German village of Hahndorf for lunch of strudels and sausages and a shop en route to the airport for our flight home.
What an amazing, jam-packed tour!! We saw and experienced so much of the Murray River and Kangaroo Island in our 8 days. All levels of fitness were well catered for ensuring that everyone loved the impressive South Australian attractions. The superb cuisine and Probus camaraderie as well as the famous South Australian wine certainly contributed to our excellent highly recommended tour.
